COMPARATIVE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF Ocimum gratissimum AND Chromolaena odorata PLANT EXTRACTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL BACTERIAL CONJUNCTIVITIS IN WISTAR RATS

The use of plant-based therapy for the treatment and management of conjunctivitis is gradually gaining visibility, especially in many underdeveloped countries around the world. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of aqueous extracts of Ocimum gratissimum and Chromolaena odorata on Wistar rats with experimentally induced conjunctivitis. Twenty-five healthy Wistar rats were divided into five groups of five rats each. Conjunctivitis was experimentally induced using Staphylococcus aureus, Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the selected plants were prepared, while the aqueous extracts were used for topical treatment. The rats were treated with the aqueous extracts of O. gratissimum and C. odorata, while ciprofloxacin served as the standard treatment control following confirmation of infection. Quantitative phytochemical analysis showed that O. gratissimum relatively had higher yield of flavonoid and alkaloids with mean values of 1.56 ± 0.03 and 1.55 ± 0.02 respectively. The clinical conjunctivitis scores after treatment revealed the group treated with ciprofloxacin having the lowest total score of (0.34) followed by C. odorata with (1.70) and O. gratissimum with a total score of (2.88). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance with appropriate post-hoc pairwise comparisons. The findings demonstrated differences in clinical conjunctivitis scores among the treatment groups and suggest that the aqueous extracts of O. gratissimum and C. odorata may possess therapeutic potential against experimentally induced bacterial conjunctivitis. Further studies are required to establish their safety, optimal formulation, pharmacological mechanisms, and clinical applicability as ophthalmic preparations.